Extensible riding toy

ABSTRACT

A riding toy of the &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;hobby horse&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; type which simulates an animal, such as an elongated dog, having an elongated body portion on which a child may sit and leg portions connecting the body portion to a ground engaging base structure which provides for movement of the toy relative to the ground. The body portion is comprised of telescoped members providing for adjustment of the length thereof to accommodate one or more children. The telescoped members are adjustably manipulated by a threaded rod which has a manipulatable crank arm disposed on the exterior of the body portion of the simulated animal.

United States Patent 1191 Morrison 4] EXTENSIBLE RIDING T017 [75] Inventor: Howard J. Morrison, Deerfield, Ill.

[73] Assignee: Marvin Glass & Associates,

Chicago, 111.

22 Filed: Jan. 17, 1973 21 App1.No.:324,343

52 us. c1 ..272/s2.5,280/1.1s8,280/716, 280/12 R,'297/233 511 1111.01 A63g17/00 [58} Field of Search 280/1.188, 7.16, 87.02 R,

280/80 B, 12 R, 287; 272/525, 53.1, 53.2, v

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 152.474 6/1874 Emery 272/525 256,390 4/1882 Shepardson.. 272/525 1,265,705 5/1918 Litchfield 280/80 B 1,453,469 5/1923 Lather 280/716 1111 3,848,869 Nov. 19, 1974 2,484,494 10/1949 Ferguson 280/8702 R X 2,629,967 3/1953 Lohr et a1. 46/104 2,717,159 9/1955 Thomas 280/12 R 2,823,490 2/1958 Griem 46/151 X Primary Examiner-Leo Friaglia Attorney, Agent, of Firm-Coffee & Sweeney 57} ABSTRACT A riding toy ofthe hobby horse type which simillates an animaL-such as an elongated dog, having an elongated body portion on which a child may sit and leg portions connecting the body portion to a ground engaging base structure which provides for movement of the toy relative to the ground. The body portion is comprised of telescoped members providing for ad- :justment of the length thereof to accommodate one or more children. The telescoped members are adjustably manipulated by a threaded rod which has a manipulatable crank armdisposed on the exterior of the body portion of the-simulated animal.

19 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENIE :zuv 1 91914 SHEE? 3 0f 3 EXTENSIBLE RIDING TOY BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to riding toys of the hobby horse type for providing entertainment and amusement of children. The invention contemplates wheeled or roller type riding toys as well as rocker type toys, both of which being considered hobby horse type riding devices.

Many hobby horse type riding toys have been known for a considerable number of years to simulate the appearance and certain riding characteristics of a real animal, such as a horse or the like, and at the same time provide for amusement and entertainment of children of varying ages. Rocking, galloping, walking, bucking and rolling type mechanisms have been employed as action facilitating mechanisms. There is a constant need for novel improvements in such devices and this invention has as its principal object the provision of a new and improved riding toy of the character described.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the riding toy is formed to simulate an animal. An elongated dog such as a dachshund, or the like, is shown in the drawings. Of course, other simulated animals or any other aesthetically acceptable structure is contemplated in utilizing the concepts of the present invention. The simulated animal herein includes an elongated body portion having leg portions connecting the body portion to a ground engaging base structure having means such as rockers, rollers, or the like, providing for movement of the toy relative to the ground or floor upon which it is ridden. The body portion of the simu lated animal is fabricated of a pair of telescoped members for adjusting the length of the body portion to accommodate one or more riders on the toy. Manipulative means in the form of an elongated threaded member is joumalled in one of the telescoped members and threaded into the other telescoped member to effect relative longitudinal movement of the telescoped members on rotation of the threaded member. The threaded member extends generally longitudinally within the telescoped members and a crank arm therefore extends through the back of the rearmost telescoped member for grasping and rotating the same by a child, the crank arm simulating a tail for the animal while being readily accessible to a user of the toy.

The base structure for the toy as shown herein comprises a pair of elongated rockers extending in the longitudinal direction of the body portion of the toy, with a plurality of wheels movably mounted on the rockers for movement from retracted positions wherein the toy may be used as a rocking type toy and extended positions engageable with the ground and with the rocker means lifted off of the ground to provide a rolling type toy.

Means are provided whereby the base structure of the toy may be effectively adapted to accommodate the relative adjustment of the telescoped members of the body portion of the simulated animal. In one form of the invention, leg means connect both of the telescoped members to the rockers, with the connection between the legs for one of the telescoped members and the rockers comprising a pin andslot connection to permit the legs to move relative to the rockers upon relative adjustment of the telescoped body members. In

another form of the invention, the rockers themselves also are telescoped so as to accommodate the adjustment.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a riding toy embodying the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to that of FIG. I, with the toy adjusted to a greater length;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, taken generally along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, taken generally along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a partial vertical section, on a further enlarged scale, of the threaded connection for the manipulatable threaded rod which adjusts the telescoped sections of the body portion of the toy;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view illustrating the operative and inoperative positions of the front rollers of the toy;

FIG. 7 is an elevational view illustrating the operative and inoperative positions of the rear rollers of the toy;

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view similar to that of FIG. 3 but of a modified form of the invention; and

FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view similar to that of FIG. 4 of the modified form of the invention shown in FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the riding toy of the present invention is shown herein formed in the shape of an animal having a body portion, generally designated 10, a head portion 12, front supporting leg portions 14 and rear supporting leg portions 16. The legs 14 and 16 are connected to a ground engaging base structure, generally designated 18, the base structure having means providing for movement of the toy relative to the ground, or a floor, or the like, upon which the toy is ridden. The body, head and leg portions of the toy shown simulates an elongated dog, such as a dachshund. Selectively operable means are provided for facilitating either rocking or rolling movement of the toy relative to the ground, or a combination of both. More particularly, as shown in the drawings, the base structure comprises a pair of rockers 20 on which the legs 14 and 16 of the simulated animal are connected, the rockers being themselves connected by a central supporting brace 22. In addition, a pair of front wheels 24 and a pair of rear wheels 26 are pivotally mounted to the front and rear ends of the rockers 20 by pivot arms 24a and 26a, respectively. The pivot arms 24a and 26a movably mount the front and rear wheels 24 and 26, respectively, on the rockers 20 for movement from retracted positions as shown by the full lines in FIGS. 6 and 7, wherein the toy may be used as a rocking type toy, with the rockers 20 engaging the ground, to extended positions shown in dot-dash lines in FIGS. 6 and 7, where the wheels 24, 26 are in engagement with the ground and the rockers 20 are lifted off of the ground to thereby provide a rolling type toy. In addition, only the front wheels may be lowered for engaging the ground intermittently while the toy is rocked to simulate a sort of galloping action.

Front and rear rods 28a and 28b (as best seen in FIGS. 6 and 7) define the limit positions for the front and rear wheels 24 and 26, respectively. In the retracted positions of the wheels, as shown by the full lines in FIGS. 6 and 7, the front and rear pivot arms 24a and 26a for the front and rear wheels 24 and 26, respectively, rest on top of the rods 28a and 28b, respectively. The pivot arms for the wheels may abut the underside of the rods 28a and 28b to define the upper limit positions for the wheels when in their extended positions providing a rolling type toy, with the rockers 20 lifted off of the ground. The front rod 28a, as shown in FIG. 1, extends completely through the rockers 20 and the lower ends of the front legs 14 to provide connections between the front legs and the rockers. The front rod 28a also protrudes outwardly from the sides of the rockers to provide means on which a child may position his feet while riding the toy. A central rod 30 also may be provided for protruding outwardly from the rockers and on which a second child may position his feet while riding the toy in back of the first child.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the means for adjusting the length of the body portion of the toy, for accommodating one or more riders thereon, comprises forming the body portion of two telescoped sections 32 and 34, as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. As is apparent, relative movement between the telescoped sections changes the length of the body portion 10. Manipulatable means is provided operatively associated with the front and rear telescoped sections 32 and 34, respectively, to permit hand adjustment of the telescoped members from exteriorly of the body portion.

More particularly, the manipulatable means includes an elongated threaded rod 36 which is joumalled at the back end of the rear telescoped section, as at 38, and is threadable through an interior threaded plate member 40 disposed inside the front telescoped section 32. The plate member 40 is sandwiched between a pair of cushion beating rings 42 which, in turn, are positioned between annular flanges 44. A crank arm 46 (which may be formed integrally with the rear end of the threaded rod 36) protrudes from the back of the rear telescoped section 34 simulating a tail of the simulated animal while being readily accessible to a user of the toy. A child, thus, simply grasps a knob 48 on the end of the crank arm 46 and rotates the crank arm to rotate the threaded rod 36 which thereby moves the rear telescoped section 34 relative to the front telescoped section 32 of a longitudinal direction to adjust the length of the body portion 10 of the simulated animal. Reduced diameter, unthreaded portions 50 are formed on the threaded rod at opposite ends of the threaded portion thereof to prevent overriding and define the limits of threading movement between the threaded rod and the plate member 40.

With the legs 14 and 16 connecting the body portion 10 of the simulated animal to the rockers 20, means must be provided in the connections therebetween to accommodate the relative movement of the telescoped body sections 32 and 34. In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, an elongated slot 52 is provided in at least one of the rockers through which a pin 54 connected to the rear legs 16 extends to provide for relative movement between the rear legs and the rocker. This pin'and slot means accommodates the relative movement between the telescoped body sections 32 and 34. In the'embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the rockers themselves also are telescoped, as with the telescoped body sections, with inner telescoped portions of the rockers 20 extending into hollow portions 62 of the rockers. Thus, as the body portion of the toy is lengthened or shortened, the rockers themselves also are lengthened or shortened to accommodate such body adjustment.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a flexible sheath 62 is provided surrounding the body portion 10 of the toy and on which one or more children may sit. The sheath is provided for aesthetic purposes as well as providing means for covering the joint between the telescoped body sections 32 and 34.

Although the invention is shown herein as simulating an animal or the like, any number of differently shaped riding toys are intended to be utilized with the concepts of the present invention. In addition, although the drawings show a toy which may accommodate, generally, one or two riders, the structure obviously may be modified by one skilled in the art to accommodate several riders.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom as some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A riding toy, comprising: a body portion simulating an animal having leg means movably connected to a ground engaging base structure, the body portion of the simulated animal being elongated to provide means on which a child may sit and the base structure having means providing for movement of the toy relative to the ground, said body portion including a plurality of relatively longitudinally movable parts with at least one of the parts being movable relative to said base structure, and with leg means on said one part being connected to the base structure for movement relative thereto to accommodate the relative movement of said body parts, and means for adjusting the length of said body portion for accommodating one or more riders on the toy.

2. The riding toy of claim 1 wherein the elongated body portion of said simulated animal is comprised of telescoped members providing for said length adjusting means.

3. The riding toy of claim 2 including'manipulative means operatively associated with said telescoped members to permit hand adjustment thereof by operating said manipulative means.

4. The riding toy of claim 3 wherein said manipulative means comprises an elongated threaded member joumalled on one of said telescoped members and threaded into another of said telescoped members to effect relative longitudinal movement of the telescoped members on rotation of said threaded member, and including a manually graspable crank arm secured to the threaded member for rotating the same.

5. The riding toy of claim 4 wherein said threaded member extends generally longitudinally within said telescoped members and said crank arm extends through the back of the rearmost telescoped member simulating a tail for the animal while being readily accessible to a user of the toy.

6. The riding toy of claim 1 wherein said leg means on said one part is connected to the base structure by pin means on the leg means extending through slot means in the base structure, the slot means being elongated in the direction of elongation of said body portion.

7. The riding toy of claim 6 wherein said base structure comprises rocker means having said slot means therein.

8. The riding toy of claim 1 wherein said base structure comprises elongated rocker means for said toy, and including rotatable wheel means movable mounted on the toy for movement from retracted positions wherein the toy may be used as a rocking type toy and extended positions engageable with the ground and with the rocker means lifted off of the ground to provide a rolling type toy.

9. The riding toy of claim 1 wherein said base structure comprises rocker means extending in the direction of longitudinal adjustment of the body portion of the simulated animal, the rocker means also being formed of telescoped members to accommodate the longitudinal adjustment of the body portion.

10. The riding toy of claim 9 wherein the elongated body portion of said simulated animal is comprised of telescoped members providing for said length adjusting means.

11. The riding toy of claim 1 wherein the body and legs of the toy are shaped to simulate an elongated dog.

12. A riding toy, comprising: an elongated body portion on which one or more children may sit, depending support portions connecting the body portion to a base structure having means providing for movement of the toy relative to the ground, and said body portion being comprised of telescoped members providing means for adjusting the length of the body portion for accommodating one or more riders on the toy, and manipulative means operatively associated with said telescoped members to permit hand adjustment thereof by operating said manipulative means, said manipulative means including an elongated threaded member journalled on one of said telescoped members and threaded into another of said telescoped members to effect relative longitudinal movement of the telescoped members on rotation of said threaded member and a manually graspable crank arm secured to the threaded member for rotating the same.

13. The riding toy of claim 12 wherein said depending support portions connect two of said telescoped members to said base structure, the support portion on one of the telescoped members being fixed to the base structure and the support portion on the other of said telescoped members being movably connected to the base structure to accommodate the relative movement of the telescope members.

14. The riding toy of claim 13 wherein the support portion on the other of said telescoped members is connected to the base structure by pin and slot means, the slot means being elongated in the direction of adjustment of the telescoped members 15. The riding toy of claim 14 wherein said base structure comprises rocker means having said slot means therein.

16. The riding toy of claim 12 wherein said base structure comprises rocker means extending in the direction of adjustment of said telescoped body members, the rocker means also being formed of telescoped members to accommodate the telescopic adjustment of the body portion.

17. An animated riding toy, comprising:

an elongated body portion defining the torso of an animal to provide means on which a child may sit on the animal s back, said body portion being comprised solely of a plurality of relatively longitudinally movable completely telescoping parts;

leg means connected to said body portion and extending downwardly therefrom;

a ground engaging base structure connected to said leg means for supporting said body portion thereover, said base structure having means providing for movement of the toy relative to the ground; and

manipulative means for hand adjusting the length of said body portion by relatively longitudinally moving said telescoping parts for accommodating one or more riders on the toy and for holding said telescoping parts in an adjusted position.

18. The riding toy of claim 17 wherein said manipulative means comprises an elongated threaded member journalled on one of said telescoped members and threaded into another of said telescoped members to effect relative longitudinal movement of the telescoped members on rotation of said threaded member, and including a manually graspable crank arm secured to the threaded member for rotating the same.

19. The riding toy of claim 18 wherein said threaded member extends generally longitudinally within said telescoped members and said crank arm extends through the back of the rearmost telescoped member simulating a tail for the animal while being readily accessible to a user of the toy. 

1. A riding toy, comprising: a body portion simulating an animal having leg means movably connected to a ground engaging base structure, the body portion of the simulated animal being elongated to provide means on which a child may sit and the base structure having means providing for movement of the toy relative to the ground, said body portion including a plurality of relatively longitudinally movable parts with at least one of the parts being movable relative to said base structure, and with leg means on said one part being connected to the base structure for movement relative thereto to accommodate the relative movement of said body parts, and means for adjusting the length of said body portion for accommodating one or more riders on the toy.
 2. The riding toy of claim 1 wherein the elongated body portion of said simulated animal is comprised of telescoped members providing for said length adjusting means.
 3. The riding toy of claim 2 including manipulative means operatively associated with said telescoped members to permit hand adjustment thereof by operating said manipulative means.
 4. The riding toy of claim 3 wherein said manipulative means comprises an elongated threaded member journalled on one of said telescoped members and threaded into another of said telescoped members to effect relative longitudinal movement of the telescoped members on rotation of said threaded member, and including a manually graspable crank arm secured to the threaded member for rotating the same.
 5. The riding toy of claim 4 wherein said threaded member extends generally longitudinally within said telescoped members and said crank arm extends through the back of the rearmost telescoped member simulating a tail for the animal while being readily accessible to a user of the toy.
 6. The riding toy of claim 1 wherein aid leg means on said one part is connected to the base structure by pin means on the leg means extending through slot means in the base structure, the slot means being elongated in the direction of elongation of said body portion.
 7. The riding toy of claim 6 wherein said base structure comprises rocker means having said slot means therein.
 8. The riding toy of claim 1 wherein said base structure comprises elongated rocker means for said toy, and including rotatable wheel means movable mounted on the toy for movement from retracted positions wherein the toy may be used as a rocking type toy and extended positions engageable with the ground and with the rocker means lifted off of the ground to provide a rolling type toy.
 9. The riding toy of claim 1 wherein said base structure comprises rocker means extending in the direction of longitudinal adjustment of the body portion of the simulated animal, the rocker means also being formed of telescoped members to accommodate the longitudinal adjustment of the body portion.
 10. The riding toy of claim 9 wherein the elongated body portion of said simulated animal is comprised of telescoped members providing for said length adjusting means.
 11. The riding toy of claim 1 wherein the body and legs of the toy are shaped to simulate an elongated dog.
 12. A riding toy, comprising: an elongated bodY portion on which one or more children may sit, depending support portions connecting the body portion to a base structure having means providing for movement of the toy relative to the ground, and said body portion being comprised of telescoped members providing means for adjusting the length of the body portion for accommodating one or more riders on the toy, and manipulative means operatively associated with said telescoped members to permit hand adjustment thereof by operating said manipulative means, said manipulative means including an elongated threaded member journalled on one of said telescoped members and threaded into another of said telescoped members to effect relative longitudinal movement of the telescoped members on rotation of said threaded member and a manually graspable crank arm secured to the threaded member for rotating the same.
 13. The riding toy of claim 12 wherein said depending support portions connect two of said telescoped members to said base structure, the support portion on one of the telescoped members being fixed to the base structure and the support portion on the other of said telescoped members being movably connected to the base structure to accommodate the relative movement of the telescope members.
 14. The riding toy of claim 13 wherein the support portion on the other of said telescoped members is connected to the base structure by pin and slot means, the slot means being elongated in the direction of adjustment of the telescoped members.
 15. The riding toy of claim 14 wherein said base structure comprises rocker means having said slot means therein.
 16. The riding toy of claim 12 wherein said base structure comprises rocker means extending in the direction of adjustment of said telescoped body members, the rocker means also being formed of telescoped members to accommodate the telescopic adjustment of the body portion.
 17. An animated riding toy, comprising: an elongated body portion defining the torso of an animal to provide means on which a child may sit on the animal''s back, said body portion being comprised solely of a plurality of relatively longitudinally movable completely telescoping parts; leg means connected to said body portion and extending downwardly therefrom; a ground engaging base structure connected to said leg means for supporting said body portion thereover, said base structure having means providing for movement of the toy relative to the ground; and manipulative means for hand adjusting the length of said body portion by relatively longitudinally moving said telescoping parts for accommodating one or more riders on the toy and for holding said telescoping parts in an adjusted position.
 18. The riding toy of claim 17 wherein said manipulative means comprises an elongated threaded member journalled on one of said telescoped members and threaded into another of said telescoped members to effect relative longitudinal movement of the telescoped members on rotation of said threaded member, and including a manually graspable crank arm secured to the threaded member for rotating the same.
 19. The riding toy of claim 18 wherein said threaded member extends generally longitudinally within said telescoped members and said crank arm extends through the back of the rearmost telescoped member simulating a tail for the animal while being readily accessible to a user of the toy. 